Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Twitching

This is not to start a fight but settle an argument and educate me. Guy at work has a horse that needed some "work"(don't know what, dental I think) said they had to twitch him. Gal at work proceed to call him everything in the book, accused him of cruelty to animals. I remember my Grand Dad saying they had to twitch a mule now and then to "get their attention." Is twitching cruel, does it hurt the animal?

After a twitch is on for awhile, I think it makes the nose numb. I can tell you if you twitch a mule, you only end up with Pi$$ed off mule. They will remember it for a long time. Basically any time you have a fight with mule, you lose.

As for a horse, it works. Does it hurt. I have no idea. I never had one on me. Sometimes you have to make do though for emergency doctoring and a twitch can be made real fast with rope and a limb. However, I have had horses fight me with a twitch on and their head snubbed hard right up against a post.
I would only use one as a last resort. It's probably a step above earing them down.

NEVER,EVER argue with a woman about horse care. Emotions and ignorance will win out over fact and knowledge every time. Most have not passed above the attitude that horses are lovable creatures that will never hurt you.

A come-along hitch with a loop under their top lip and up over their poll works better. These are advertised for about $50,but you can make one with the pulleys for less than $10. Sometimes I put one on a mule that gets fussy when being shod. Technically it is suppose to let the animal release good endorphins, but that is above my pay grade.

A vet showed me a good way along time ago to get a horse's attention. You lay your index finger along the top of the eye socket( that hard bone above the eye). You put your thumb against the upper eyelid, kind of in the socket and squeeze hard. It must give them a heck of a head ache because it settles them down. On hard cases I have used a hand on each eye. I loaded a half an elk on a horse that would not tolerate being packed once. He bucked some when I let go, but settled down.

Years ago we use to hot brand horses with a twitch and tieing one back leg up.

For dental work if that is what he had done, an anesthetic works a lot better, you get the job done faster, and end up with better job. It sure has gotten expensive though, I had mule done a few weeks ago and the vet charged $140 for a float job. Generally the easier you can get a job done without a fight with an equine, the better off you and the equine will be.

Does it hurt? I am sure it does hurt some, I know they feel it. You have to remember a horse has a higher threshold of pain than we do. I have twitched horses, have put a rock in their ear and twisted it, etc. Depends on what you are doing to him, lol not everyone has unlimited drugs at their disposal. It kinda gives them something else to think about when you are working on them. ED

Any kind of restraint can be made to hurt.

A properly applied twitch should not hurt very much at all. As saddlesore mentioned, it should get the critter to release endorphines - naturally produced narcotic substances.

Because of the leverage that can be applied, it should not be used by someone without education, experience, and supervision. it's very easy to injure a horse and cause and/or exacerbate bad behavior.

For dental work, I'm a fan of an equine dentist. A horse should be doped up and have dental work performed by a professional. We're lucky to have a very good equine dentist here in AK.

*Some* vets are able to do dental work, but two things vets don't get enough of in vet school to be come proficient at and are expected to be experts on are teeth and feet. there are specialists for each.

I'am sure it does hurt if they thrash around and be non compliant. A person needs to know what they are doing with those chain loop on the stick type twitches. Let an animal have a bad experience with one of those and you won't get one one them again.

Of course it hurts. That's the whole point of using one. If it didn't hurt, the horse would have no reason to behave. If he starts to behave, the hurt goes away.

No.

A lot of people try to make the analogy that it's like having your nuts in a vise. It's not.

Properly done, endorphins are released. It's been researched.

Little more back story, the twitch was used to give the numbing shot so the work could be done, soon as the juice took effect the twitch was removed. Saddlesore the Gal in question is still ballistic over the deal. She is of mindset that you mentioned the whole nobility of the beast thing. Thanks for all the input and the information

I helped a local Vet try to get a Mare to nurse a foal who was rejecting her first birth. He had the Mare in a twitch and was cussing her something bad. I asked if I could help and was refused and asked again. After I held and guided the foal who was less than an half hour old to the teat while watching this ordeal from the corner of my eye. I am of the opinion that I would not trust many people to properly use a twitch.

Maybe she needs to be twitched to settle her down.

The gal in the office probably can't make her kids mind either lol. Good think she doesn't go to a branding and see the poor little doggies branded and their ears whittled and the bulls casterated. Ed

Having known the fly eyed broom ridin b@#ch for over twenty years the the cuttin part would be right up her ally.

Old joke:

What do you call the person who graduates last in their veterinary class?






Doctor.

A twitch is very helpful in giving veterinary care. I think it is painful while also releasing endorphins. There are lots of equines that are not gentled to needles and the such and without twitching, trying to treat these animals would be cost prohibitive.(Due to time constraints and Hazardous working conditions) Tell the woman to chill...its all good,

As others have said a twitch when applied properly should not hurt all that much buy will have the calming effect. It is a very useful tool and can prevent injury to both the horse and handler but heading off a serious wreck. I do not like chain twitches the links can roll on easc other and pinch the skin and that will hurt like hell. Many years ago when I was taking my apprenticeship before I was ever allowed to work on a hoof my Gramps(Irish trained Master Farrier) had me make some of my tools, 1 was a twitch made from a piece of shovel handle, with holes drilled thru at both ends. the lip loop was made from a piece of heavy sash cord passed thru the hole from both sides with the ends knotted so it could not pull back thru. On the other end was also a piece of cord passed thru and knotted tight with about 6" of the end free. When working alone you can use this to tie the off end of the twitch to the halter cheek piece or ring after it is applied so you are free to work. I still use these home grown twitches to this day and they work fantastic with no skin pinching.

There are commercially available 'humane twitches' that are based on the same principle. I have one, but find the lip part too smooth and constantly falls off.



The best workable ones, IMO, are an old axe handle (flat sides) with a loop of 3/8 rope like sisal or hemp. Similar to this:



The type with a loop of chain, even though it is a smooth flat-link, is too easy to to get too tight.

I think that if a twitch is needed, it should be handled by someone that has experience with one and can focus on the horse's behavior while the other person is attending to the task the twitch is allowing to be done.

Now, for something like paste worming our horses, I'll 'hand twitch' - apply pressure to the nose with a gloved hand - while my wife delivers the dewormer paste.

A stud chain under the upper lip works similarly with endorphine release, but also has the potential for abuse on sensitive tissue.

I'm not laying claim to being an expert, but having some experience. I've used about every type of twitch in a lot of different situtions.

That's pretty much like the ones I've been making and using for 46 years(God am I getting OLD lol)I do like the tie cord in the 'off' end and use it quite a bit, especially when shoeing the pack string alone. I've known a few guys with the 'nutcracker' style but they never seem to work well for them.

A man who taught me a lot about teeth floating showed me a ring twitch and i've used one for 30 years. Use a 2 inch[smaller or larger would not make much difference] and tie a piece of rope or cord [i use the green parachute cord with no core] through the ring with an overhand knot,both ends together. I tie a piece of insulated 12 guage copper wire to the ring. Apply the twitch and use the wire to tie it off to the halter. Works great when by yourself and no three foot handles flying around if one jerks loose.

Fred

Yep an old lady in England showed me a titch used bailing twine and a big flat washer ////worked great.

I had trouble picturing what you were describing, so I went to Google images and searched "ring and twine twitch".

Is this what you are describing?

That is exactly what i was talking about for a ring twitch. You can build one out of damn near anything. If you bend the jaws on the humane twitches to reducethe amount of curve in the "jaws" they will get a better bite and stay on better.

Fred